Murray dismissed

LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers announced today that they have dismissed Hitting Coach Eddie Murray and have named Bill Mueller as Interim Hitting Coach, according to Dodger Manager Grady Little.

“Change is never easy but sometimes it is necessary and we feel that this is the best thing right now to help the team win,” said Little. “Our offense hasn’t lived up to our expectations and no one person is responsible for the results we’ve had this season. I have the utmost respect for Eddie Murray as a person and as a professional and I wish him nothing but the best.”

Mueller retired at the end of the 2006 season with a lifetime batting average of .291 in 11 seasons with the Giants, Cubs, Red Sox and Dodgers. In 2003, he won the American League batting title and Silver Slugger Award and in 2004, he was a key member of the World Champion Boston Red Sox. Upon announcing his retirement, Mueller was named Special Assistant to General Manager Ned Colletti this offseason.

“Bill Mueller will serve as a very solid bridge as we look for our next hitting coach,” said Colletti. “He already has a great reputation within the clubhouse and he has a very deep knowledge of our team and the rest of the league.”

65 Comments

It’s sad how the coaches/manager s are the ones that always gets blamed when the player’s are the ones ******* it up. I think the Dodgers should be happy where there offense is at right now, considering Colletti did almost nothing to improve it in any significant way…

When Juan Pierre and his .300 OBP is your biggest offseason acquisition for the lineup, you know theres something wrong.

I do feel a little bad for Murray too (although, who knows, maybe he’s happy to say goodbye too), because players have to be held responsible for their lack of production. But one thing in defense of this move I’ll say is that I haven’t liked the approach Dodger hitters have had often this year, both in working pitch counts and in improving hitches in their swings, and some of that responsibility does lie with the coaches. Sometimes just a change, even if cosmetic, can spark a club, too, we’ve seen that in the past.

I’m surprised it wasn’t Mike Easler, though, given how highly Kemp and Loney spoke of him this year. But, good luck Mueller!

I think the AAA coach, Easler has been talked about as the hitting coach ‘of the future.’ The bad hitting must fall squarely on the shoulders of the players themselves, not the hitting coach. Ned seems to think Bill Mueller is the answer to everything, assisstant GM and now hitting coach! A very expensive one, i might add.

It’s just the way it goes. This decision obviously was made before the Mets series but it should come as no surprise. There were times when certain hitters would make some seriously bad decisions and this was inevitable. Now, of course he’s not all to blame BUT when the team has hitting issues the hitting coach usually takes the hit. Mueller is ‘Interim’ hitting coach but I would expect a new hitting coach soon enough. Also, as Max said and what is pretty obvious when Murray was fired from Cleveland they broke out after that and went on a complete offensive terror. Now will it stop Nomar and Kent from swinging at the first pitch? No, but will this help in the long run? I’d like to think so and history has shown it will.

THANK YOU!!!
My daily wish has been granted. Not really looking for a scapegoat, but I think that Murray was helping nobody, just like years ago the Cleveland organization concluded. I personally wish him well, and he will have many great memories from his glory years to carry him on.

I am very glad to see that this organization is finally doing some things that many of us have asked for these past couple of months.

Hitting has been the weakest spot. Especially in the power dept. We need someone to do something about that. Apparently Eddie Murray, couldn’t do it. It will be nice to see Bill Mueller back in uniform…..My daughter called me up, to congradulate me, she does this whenever the Dodgers accomplish something, even if it’s against her METS. I call her whenever the Mets do something good, even if it’s against the Dodgers, which I seemed to do more offen. We went to the first game of the NLDS last year. No hard feeling, it’s the teams not us. The thing I’m mostly proud of is the quick rebound from last week’s diasterous defeat to the Padres. It definately was the kids: MARTIN,LONEY,KEMP,ABEU, ETHIER,BILLINGLEY,KUO. I hope we could keep most of them for a long time(I HOPE). The bullpen (Rick Honeycut has been doing a great job, I remember him as a pitcher), has been great, it seems like forever, SEANEZ,TOMKO,BEIMEL(a master craftsmen), Jon Paul Bunyan, BROXTON, and the answer to our prayers, S A I T O. SAENZ(as usual) and BETEMET have been splended off the bench. our stalwarts, KENT,NOMAR,GONZO, just give them plenty of rest, and hope for the best. FURCAL & PIERRE are carrying their load, LA ROCHE, had patience at the plate. Our starting pitching: LOWE(what’s the matter guys, can’t you see he’s bustin’ it?, give him some runs), PENNY and WOLF are doing great, averaging out at 6 innings per game. Hendrickson at 5. I have to mention again, HOMERUN HERO HONG CHIH KUO. The SCHMIDT situation is scary, but their working on it. ENJOY THE DAY OFF, & MURDER THOSE LOS ANAHEIMs.

This is true, but if it is ENTIRELY true, then switching hitting coaches should make no difference…right?

I was less upset by results from the offense this year than by the approach by individual players which led to said results. For instance, JP not being able to change his bat-head angle for over a month. Kent continuing to swing at the first pitch when his stats show it won’t work. Nomar losing all power, possibly d/t injury but possibly because of his mechanics. Mueller was a fine hitter, and he will do well in the interim while the Ds find a replacement.

Nothing bad can come of this move. It might not fix the situation, but it will not hurt it.

grady is definitely being way too stubborn with nomar…im getting tired of the teases…he says major changes are coming, which they have, but he wont make the real moves to put them into effect. he put jp in the 8 spot and he instantly collects two hits, then he puts him right back!! i would like for the middle to not be ignored when it comes to changes, and they should be accountable just as JP is.

What I don’t understand is why toss Murray under the bus when we’re in first place. Last year he was a hero, now he’s a bum because Jeff and Nomar are a year older and Juan Pierre is just starting to come around. Perhaps the feeling is that he can’t relate to the youngsters. Anyway, we’re in first, and we HAVE TO PLAY WELL THIS WEEKEND!!!
Go Dodgers, beat Angels

Yes, Grady did move Pierre back up the lineup to the #2 spot and he responded by going 5 for 11 with two walks, a triple, stolen base and a RBI against the Mets. Nomar is a seperate issue batting third, but then again Martin is in a bit of a slump at the moment (4 for his last 29). All I know is we just swept the Mets and Loney, Kuo and Schmidt have the same amount of HR’s as Nomar. Betemit has been very good lately and maybe has found his swing. Hopefully he can keep it going.

Also, Matt Kemp is batting .464 this season (13 for 28) and is looking like he’s going to find himself in the lineup a lot. But, with Gonzo at a .371 OBP and Pierre maybe starting to warm up like the weather, the odd man sitting on the bench is Ethier. It’s an interesting dilemma, but I think it’s pushing everyone to play better which so far they’ve responded. I would like to see Ethier, Kemp, Loney, Betemit and Abreu in the lineup together to see how that would go, but it’s going to be tough for that to happen. Enjoy the day off!

ewk, we shouldn’t give up on Nomar entirely, but he can’t keep hitting 3 hole with what he’s currently doing. If Loney keeps playing at his current level for an extended period of time though, I think then its time to give up on Nomar (or trade him for someone with more value to our team).

In April I questioned Murray as a hitting coach after knowing about his disaster in Cleveland. I think this is a another move in the right direction. I find the timing odd especially after the Met series. I’ve always wondered how come Manny Mota was never our hitting coach? The only thing I could come up with was ,if it didn’t work out and they had to fire him , we would lose him as a bench coach as well. But who would be better than Manny?

Here’s an article from two years ago when Murray was fired by Cleveland:

“Hall of Famer Eddie Murray was fired Saturday as hitting coach of the Cleveland Indians, whose sputtering offense has been a major disappointment.

Murray, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003 after finishing his stellar career with 504 homers and 3,255 hits, was let go after Cleveland’s fourth straight loss, 6-5 to the Chicago White Sox.

Despite having a potent offense last year, the Indians are batting only .243 this season.

“It’s not just about right now, it’s just about what we feel is best for our ballclub today, the future and long term,” said manager Eric Wedge, who told Murray he was fired. “From an offensive standpoint, I feel we can do better. But it’s not just about Eddie Murray. I just felt that we needed to make a change and I felt this was best for our ballclub.”

Murray was not available for comment, and Wedge declined to discuss their conversation or Murray’s reaction. Wedge said he would address the team today but that some of the players were aware of the change.

Murray was in his fourth year as batting coach. Hitting coordinator Derek Shelton will take over the job on an interim basis for the rest of the season.

The move did not come as a huge surprise. Murray is not known to seek out players to offer advice unless they come to him and ask.

“I’m not going to get into specifics in terms of our relationship. I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for Eddie,” Wedge said. “This isn’t about anything today or the last couple of weeks. It’s more of a long-term decision.”

And another article:

” Struggling to score, the Cleveland Indians fired hitting coach Eddie Murray, a Hall of Famer who was in his fourth year in the position.

Murray was fired after Saturday’s 6-5 loss to the White Sox.

“We don’t make hasty decisions. It was a process, and ultimately we decided to do it after the game today,” manager Eric Wedge said. “There wasn’t one particular thing.”

The Indians, potent offensively a year ago, have scored just 75 runs in their last 16 games. Hitting coordinator Derek Shelton will take over as batting coach on an interim basis for the rest of the season.

“The most difficult part of this is just obviously Eddie Murray and the tremendous amount of respect I have and we have for him,” Wedge said, declining to discuss his conversation with Murray or his reaction.

Murray, who had 504 homers and 3,255 hits as a player and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003, was not available for comment.

“Eddie is the ultimate pro,” Wedge said.

The point of this is to show how similar the two firings are and why they were done. The quotes from two years ago are practically the same thing said by Grady today.

“Change is never easy but sometimes it is necessary and we feel that this is the best thing right now to help the team win,” Manager Grady Little said in a statement. “Our offense hasn’t lived up to our expectations and no one person is responsible for the results we’ve had this season.”

But, the most interesting thing is how Murray would not go to the players unless asked. And of course in two years things may have changed but it’s interesting nonetheless. Just food for thought…

It is interesting to note though that his offenses had success at certain points– last year with the Dodgers and apparantly the year before he was fired with Cleveland. It just speaks to how shortsighted and somewhat unfair the whole process it. Of course if he isnt seeking out players to help them thats a huge problem. But more than anything it just shows how its ultimately UP TO THE PLAYERS.

I had an interesting discussion with Reggie Smith at Dodger Fantasy Camp some years ago about hitting. He was the Dodger hitting coach at the time. We were asking why some players don’t bunt (or can’t bunt) and such, and he said, “You cannot get major league players to do something they do not want to do”. I must admit I was a bit surprised to hear him say that but in retrospect there had to be some truth to it. I have heard other hitting coaches in interviews say they cannot force themselves on a hitter but they are available to help if that help is wanted. I really wonder how often an established major league hitter (like a Nomar or Jeff Kent) goes to the hitting coach for help.

My guess is a pitching coach is far more important to a team than a hitting coach.

who do you think throws BP or is standing behind the hitter in the cage The hitting coach is huge. That said its not Murray’s fault that the line up stinks! It could be refreshing to get a new pair of eyes to offer advice. But the Dodgers will continue to struggle for consistentcy until we get the right line up out there. I’m not saying to kill Nomar but you have too move him out of the three hole. Even Arod got moved down in the PLAYOFFS last year cause he was struggling. Again The line up is not permanent if he gets hot and hits Bombs all of a sudden(doubt it) then we should move him back up, till then make him hit his way back to the middle.

I am not saything the hitting coach is not important but the pitching coach is involved in game decisions. No doubt there is a lot to being a hitting coach that fans never see and we will never know for sure why the Dodgers decided now to replace Murray.

So what did Murray do differently this year to be a bad hitting coach compared to what he did last year to be a good hitting coach? And if he wasnt bad at it last year then why was he brought back this year?

I can care less who the hitting coach is.

To me this is a PR move.

Ned can’t fire himself for putting a bad offensive team out there. In being objective, It’s not that JP is that bad, or Gonzo but you cant have an OF of Gonzo, Pierre and Ethier. You cant have 3-4-5 hitters in their late mid to late 30s

Thats been my thing.

Individually guys are pretty good, collectively, not so much.

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The optimist side of me hopes this move was made becase the youth movement is finally underway. Ned figures let’s bring up Easler since he knows these guys and these young guys are driving the ball and our old guys aren’t. The pessimist side of me thinks he was a scapegoat and another way to try and get things going.

This is not Neds fault the Dodgers are by far the strongest team in the West and a good line up away of being the best team in the NL. Sure you can rag on Colletti for the signings now but in Dec I was excited so we shouldn’t be so critical on Ned he made the right moves, by keeping all these young guys and let them explode. But you need someone that is going to put them in the right place to succed.

thats true, we had one of the best offenses in the NL last year in terms of runs scored…Murray wasn’t a problme then. It looks like a scapegoat move. But perhaps also Murray’s personality was starting to wear on people too.

At least things are moving, the kids are up, people are being fired, hired, change is good for this team. The status quo was getting (literally) old.

Does anybody really think that Nomar or Kent or Gonzo would ever seek the advise of a hitting coach… I doubt it very much.. These guys are old timers who, I’m sure think they know whats best for themselves… Same goes for Pierre, but if does get advice he probably has a very hard time adjusting to change… That just seems like his personality….

Also, getting advice from Mueller, who is much younger, doesn’t seem like something that is likely to happen either…

They are what the are – old timers past their prime – unwilling to make changes…

I agree with several of the previous comments in regards to Murray. If he lacked the communication skills to assist the team’s hitting approach he needs to go. He may be old school, but it may also be Ned and Grady shaking things up? If you are not helping or assisting the team, we’ll show you the door. Even a HOF’er is not untouchable, wake-up calls to JP, Jeff and Nomar, that past glories does not gurantee a position on the starting lineup?

A couple of comments–unrelated to Eddie Murray, but seemingly appropriate for on off-day.

I was at Tuesday’s Game, and Noticed:

1) The parking situation. There still seems to be extra people mulling around, and no system is perfect or quick, and sell-outs are going to be worse, but I have to admit, getting in and out has been easier. I think they have figured this out.

2) Concession Stands. I know that’s the next problem to tackle at the Stadium, so here’s a thought. I was on the Reserved Level and there was a long line at the line for Dodger Dogs. Meanwhile, the line for CPK had two cash registers and no one waiting. I think it means people want Dodger Dogs, not Pizza, so get rid of the specialty lines. Also–why can’t all stands have grilled Dodger Dogs?

3) My brother and I voted about 100+ paper ballots for Russell Martin. I wanted to get a box of ballots to take home and use my small drill bit on them, but I couldn’t get anymore. But remember the paper ballots when you are at the game.

This was touched on yesterday and somewhat recently is the fact that Furcal has taken over for JP as the auto out recently while he has produced significantly with his Glove where JP ,Nomar and Kent continue to struggle but as of Late JP has picked it up on both ends.JP had a great series against the Mets and traditionally this is the part of the Season where he starts to shine.I Know Nomar and Kent are struggling as is Martin as of late But who do you put in the 3&4 spots then if you are fillingout the line up card?Is it fair to Bring the kids up and then Dump them into the most demanding spots and say Produce or else?Is doing that asking too much or is it an opportunity that these kids will take head on and never look back?Sadly I don’t think we will ever know with current management.I know alot of people here want to see Martin in the #2 or 3 spot but he is gonna burnout soon if we don’t backoff a bit on him.With Roughly 85% of the Kids we want here and all of them Flashing greatness I think we can let some of them Kemp,Loney and maybe even Abreu and Betemit start moving forward into the 2345 areas of the line up.Kemp and Betemit are gonna Kill alot more balls this year and I hope they get a chance to do it in the Middle of the lineup but is it too much too soon?I think with the way things are going Id like to see this tried

JP

Loney

Gonzo

Kemp

Martin

Betemit

Abreu

Furcal

Pitcher

Only until Furcal starts his Tear and Kent and Nomar get there act together.I mean if we are firing coaches we also have to move unproductive hitters out of the line up until they have sufficent rest or are Ready to do the job that they were contracted to do seeing as we now have suitable replacements for all spots other then Catcher and SS.I know Rafyy to the 8 spot would be a Major shot at his ego but it would definatly open his eyes and might spell him a little breather to get it going again like he did a couple weeks ago.For Kent and Nomars Ego’s ….if you are not doing your job well then tough…You Make Great Pinch hitters and back up players.

Not a slam on you leekfink but you just posted the stereotypical Dodgerfan claim made by some writer a few weeks back.Some got bent about a writer stereotyping Dodgerfans in the Parking and Dodgerdog concerns.

Was Eddie Murray really the source of the Dodgers offensive struggles?
For example; Nomar’s absence of power, Kent’s aging and decline, Betemit’s early disappearing act, the fact that Pierre is even on the team and was given a 5yr/45 mil superstar deal by a panicked GM allowing no other choice but to have to put him in the lineup, Furcal being unable to start another season healthy, McCourt too scared to sign Vlad Guerrero when he had the chance upon taking ownership, hitters who are not patient and dont believe in working counts or doing the little things that need to be done with RISP.

well in the last part with working the count and taking pitches and scoring runs yeah thats all part of the hitting coach’s job to make sure that those weaknesses are addressed.If the Major league hitters don’t do their job after the coach advises them then its the players fault but if the hitting coach does not address problems when they become common place then yes Houston we have a problem.I have said time and again that coaching seems to be weak last and this year.Players Play thats what they do Coaches HAVE to Coach players to the best of the players ability.If your Supervisor comes to you and tells you that your work is off speed and you are hampering the company’s production are you going to just keep doing off paced work and possibly lose your job or worse yet if nothing is said to you and the company fails because the supervisor did not come and tell you that you are the problem and everyone loses their jobs who is at fault?If Murray was not adressing the players in a way to help them better produce then he was not a good coach. If Murray addressed the issues and the players didn’t do better then maybe he just didn’t know how to go about getting the required results.So Either way he was not getting the job done.Championship teams don’t win with liberial play they Win through hard work and aggresive coaching and managment and the Dodgers just took a step in the aggressive direction without spending another penny so far.

fisher…copy your last and for the most part I agree with you, but I’m not arguing necessarily against or for Murray being fired. My thing is, these guys are major league veterans, and with the exception of some of the young guys on the team i.e. Martin, Ethier, Betemit, they should know whats up when it comes to how they do/dont produce at the plate….I dont see any individual, be it Murray, Mueller, or anyone else having a significant impact on the way those guys swing the stick.

IT CONTINUES: I always said, there must be a tramboline at the bottom of the NL WEST celler. Go to last place and bounce right back up. Has everybody noticed that the Cauliflowers after hitting the bottom, are 8-3, in their last 11 games and now at .500. Look out for them GNATS……. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK DODGERS, WE DON’T NEED TO GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN.

I know these guy get paid a buttload of Money and they are the Cream of the crop of the most elite athletes in the world but at the same time they are human.So at that point I can relate and what I have learned over my 40 years of being human is that A) I don’t know everthing

B) You matter how perfect you are on any one given day it only happens once in awhile. and C) If you Don’t learn something New everyday then you are Ignorant and refer back to Point A).Coaches are the people who look on and point the litte things out to keep the players on track and thats my view about that.

For now, I’d say good luck Billy.
Maury Wills sounded good a couple of days ago. Could he be asked for some occasional hitting tips? Man, I used to love his bat, the way he had it shaped, and designed.

Bunting is critical. Every player should be able to lay down a bunt, either first base line or third. At least show me that you can do it during pre-game warmups.

This team has a powerful nucleus of great players! This weekend will be like a crucible under fire…, let’s heat it up just right for the visiting halos!

You know, I sometimes think, I have to push things aside, coming from the east coast, thus my e-mail address, EASTMEETSWEST. I have to clear away the SUBWAY SERIES in New York, which is all the CLAMOR here. I root for the METS when they play the YANKEES (Thanks for the different divisions). I don’t know. Maybe because I think they’er the off spring of the DODGERS. My daughter, whom I convinced, not to root for the team on the other side of the country, when she was a little girl, is a DIE HEART Mets fan, now. She’s 32,now. I will say this once, and those who know,…know, God bless her, she never left her childhood. But she keeps up with the Mets, David Wright is her favorite. Another reason I like to see the Mets win is so the DODGERS, can play in New York during the Post Season. Ofcourse to make things complicated, my dream is always, for them, to play here in the WORLD SERIES. It’s always more exciting, I feel more like I’m in the celebration. (BUT WHO CARE WHERE THEY PLAY AS LONG AS THEY WIN). I grew up being beat up by the YANKEES, in the World Series, Yet I never hated them, like the GIANTS, since BOBBY THOMSON’S HR in ’51, which was like my CONFIRMATION as a Dodger fan. Which I will be until the day I die. OH I’m here, COM’ON YA BUMS good luck in the FREEWAY SERIES against LOS ANAHEIM. GO DODGERS—GO BLUE.

Fisher928–I have made comments on the parking since the plan was announced. It seemed to be lousy to start, but it’s only fair to acknowledge that it is now working well.

As for the concession stands, the idea that Dodger fans want Dodger Dogs is not really a stereotype–it’s just documented fact. More Dodger Dogs sell each year than any other hot dog in the game. What I did not realize was that the specialty lines were weak. Maybe it was a one-time occurrence, but I am not usually on the Reserved Level (typically, I am on the Top Deck, where there is only one small specialty stand) so I can’t usually assess how a CPK or Carl’s Jr. is doing. If CPK is doing poorly, and Dodger Dog lines are busy, the solution is obvious.

And as for grilled Dodger Dogs, I don’t know why they can’t have them at all stands. I assume that it has to do with the amount of grill space at the Stadium. Since Frank McCourt has said that he is committed to rennovations that will make concessions easier (and, as skeptical as I was when he first came in 2004, I think he has shown there is every reason to believe him), it’s just a thought to keep in mind–build enough grill space for Dodger Dogs.

Anyway, no offense taken. If my comments are stereotypical, it’s just because a lot of people agree with me. I think most people would admit that the parking situation really has improved over last year (although, obviously, no one likes the price increase); I think most people would say there should be grilled Dodger Dogs, and that if no one is in line for CPK, it should be converted to something that people want (which is probably Dodger Dogs).

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